CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Prepared by: Evelyn A. Lacsamana, RN

Content

Research Design Appropriateness of the Research Design Pilot Study Setting and Participants

Instrumentation
Procedure Data Processing and Analysis Ethical Considerations

Internal and External Validity Summary

Purpose of Chapter 3: Research Methodology

To give an experienced investigator enough information to replicate the study

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

The chapter should begin with a paragraph reiterating the purpose of the study. The following subjects may or may not be in the order required by a particular institution of higher education, but all of the subjects constitute a defensible methodology chapter.

Research Design

A research design is used to structure the research and to show how all of the major parts of the research project, including the sample, measures, and methods of assignment, work together to address the central research questions in the study.

Research Design

A qualitative study does not have variables. A scientific study has variable, which are sometimes mentioned in Chapter 1 and defined in more depth in Chapter 3.

Research Design

Sometimes an operational statement of the research hypotheses in null form is given to set the stage for later statistical inferences. In a quantitative study, state the level of significance that will

Research Design

Appropriateness

Specify that the research for the dissertation is experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, causal-comparative, quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, or another design. The designated approach should be defended by contrasting and comparing it with alternate methods and rejecting those that do not meet the needs of the study.

Research Design

This section should not be a textbook description of various research designs, but a focused effort to match a rational research design with the purpose of the study.

Pilot Study

A pilot experiment is a small scale preliminary study conducted before the main research in order to check the feasibility or to improve the design of the research. They are frequently carried out before largescale quantitative research in an attempt to avoid time and money being wasted on an inadequately designed project.

Pilot Study

A pilot study is usually carried out on members of the relevant population, but not on those who will form part of the final sample.

Pilot Study

A pilot is often used to test the design of the full-scale experiment.

This can turn out to be valuable: should anything be missing in the pilot, it can be added to the experiment and chances are, the full-scale (and more expensive) experiment will not have to be redone.

Pilot Study

In a quantitative study, a survey instrument that is researcher designed needs a pilot study to validate the effectiveness of the instrument, and the value of the questions to elicit the right information to answer the primary research questions in.

In a scientific study, a pilot study may precede the main observation to correct any problems with the instrumentation or other elements in the data collection technique.

Setting and Participants

In a quantitative study, describe the geographic location where the study will take place. Describe the participant pool.

In a qualitative study, the decision regarding the number of participants in a study becomes a reflection the studys purpose. Ten to twelve participants may prove sufficient in qualitative inquiries involving the understanding of experiences and perceptions of participants.

Setting and Participants

A successful purposeful sample in a phenomenological study could range from 1 to 40. Sample size is based on the total number of potential participants. The required sample size should be determined through a power analysis. Such an analysis uses the alpha level and the population effect size (the estimated effect of the independent variable within the target population) to estimate the number of participants needed to demonstrate an existing effect. Typically, researchers strive for a power of .80, which refers to an 80% certainty that an existing effect will be found in

Instrumentation

In a qualitative study, the instrument used to collect data may be created by the researcher or based on an existing instrument.
Researcher created Existing instrument Likert Scale Interviews

Instrumentation

Most qualitative studies include both a demographic survey to develop a picture of the participants, and an interview protocol. If the instrument is researcher created, a pilot study should be conducted to test the instrument.

Instrumentation

In a scientific study, the instrumentation used to collect data is described in detail, which may include an illustration of the setup.

Procedure

In a qualitative study, this is the section where most of the appendices are itemized, starting with letters of permission to conduct the study and letters of invitation to participate with attached consent forms. In a quantitative study, this section will detail when and how the data were collected.

Data Processing and Analysis

In both qualitative and quantitative studies, the precise method of how the data were processed and then analyzed is described. Increasingly, in qualitative studies, data collection and analysis is accomplished by using any one of several data collection and analysis tools available on the Internet.

Ethical Considerations

In a qualitative study, the procedures for the protection of human participants should be stated. This section is nearly identical in all qualitative studies, which makes it subject to identification as plagiarism when submitted to a mechanical plagiarism tool.

The study should present minimal risk to participants pertaining to experimental treatment or exposure to physical or psychological harm.

Internal and External Validity

Internal validity in quantitative studies refers to the studys ability to determine cause and effect.

Internal validity is a confirmation of the correctness of the study design. Internal validity can be assured in both qualitative and quantitative studies with pilot testing of the proposed survey instrumentation to assure that the instrument is clear and unambiguous. Pilot testing of instruments is a procedure to enable the researcher to make modifications to

Internal and External Validity

External validity is the extent to which the results of the study can reflect similar outcomes elsewhere, and can be generalized to other populations or situations. Regardless of whether a self-designed or validated instrument is used to collect data, or whether it is a qualitative or quantitative study, how validity will be assured must be stated.

Internal and External Validity

How the study is conducted and reported is illustrative of the validity and reliability and should align with the theoretical framework in Chapter 1. Triangulation of the results enhances the validity of findings. Triangulation validates the methodology by an examination of the results from several perspectives.

Summary

Summarize the research design and prepare the reader for the next chapter.

THE END